St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-19
Personal EXPERIENCES.
Stories Told by Those Who Went
Through the Time of Horror.

BUFFALO, n. Y, March 1S.-William
II. Alport, the night clerk, says:
The fire started in the cloak room under
the main stairway at $3.50 O'Clock. There
was nobody up but myself, Joe the night
porter, and Plummer, the bell boy. l pulled
all four of the fire alarms on the Herent
floors, and people came flying down stairs III
their night clothes. The fire followed the
elevator, and inside of five minutes it reached
the top floor. 1 rushed out OF doors after
dong all l could.
Bell Boy Plummer tells his experience as
follows:
I was busting the reading room when I
heard a shout and saw the flames coming up
the stairw ay from the basement. Mr.. Airport
and / turned on the hose under the main
stairway. We Strengthened the hose out and
turned the valve but the water would not run.
Then we gave the alarm. The watchman and
got u plank and broke IN the Eagle street
entrance to the hotel Then we got the plank
under the fire escape on Eagle street and we
helped people down. 1 think there were
about eighty-four guests in the house.
Hugo V. Altshul, of New York, assisted
number of women from the burning
building. He then
MADE HIS OWN ESCAPE
by Ieaping from one building to another
until he reached the corner of Washington
and North Division streets. and thus gained
the street. Clinton Bidwell, of Pittsburg,
is dying on an improYised cot at DIR. Hayd'S
office.
Look at my hands," he shrieked. az tied
the sheets together ands"came down by them.
When [ was mostly down man who nad
jumped shot past me. He came near strik-
ing me. My GOD, the people lay on the roof
| all about ME. They were grooming and dying.
| 1t was awful. They died, know they did
The skin is all Off me. l haven't a friend with
md wi m ma in a hIIr
l made up my mind would stick to tue rope
| and did
He turned on his cot and yelled with
pain. DR.. Hayd had given him morphine,
but it had no effect. William J. Mann, one
of the proprletors of the house. and his
wife had thrilling experience in getting
out. Mrs. Mann was terribly burned about
the head, arms and legs. Their little
daughter Jennie was also badly burned. II.
NJ. Johnson. the celebrated sprint runner,
of Pittsburg, says:
| arrived in Buffalo yesterday and was as
sign ed to Room 1875 at the Richmond hotel.
About $3.50 this morning the bell boy pounded
| upon my door. iwoke and found my room
full of smoke. ] dressed quickly and rushed
! out into the hallway, and oh
MY GOD, WHAT SIGHT!
Men, women and children acted perfectly
wild and did not know which way to GO.
| from the stairway and in every direction, The
| smoke was almost suffocating. / cannot re-
member anything about how 1 got out.
think i came down the stairway.
| Five girls who roomed on the fifth floor
made rope out of the bed clothes and hung
it out of the window, but none of them
seemed to have the courage to start. AT
last one Of the five took hold and swung
down to window ledge, from which she
| ThrpQ
the same manner and then the fifth girl
started down. She had gone but little
distance when the rope parted and down she
went four stories. Strange to say she was
not killed
| HER LEGS WE'RE TERRIBLY CUT
and bruised. her back badly injured and her
face and arms were in frightful condition
from burns. She lay moaning upon lounge
at the Spencer house begging to be sent
home. Her name is said to be Mary Con-
nell. In front of Dinnng Bros store lay a
dead man covered by a mattress. He had
black hair and full face which was COW
cred with blood and could not be recognized.
At first it was thought lie was Supt Nor
ford, of the Chicago Central railroad, but
Morford was afterwards found. tf
James Mcclure. night engineer at the
: postoffice, got into the hotel soon after the
| LTc UItho Oul. Ilc Sdfeu Il tiittli WHO WAS
coming down stairs in his night clothes and
who was Frustrated by the flames and
smoke. After getting him out he returned
and tried to rescue
, A YOUNG GIRL
from room on the third floor, but she wa.
lost in the fire. Mr.. Mcclure said: 1T was
terrible to hear her cries. For some reason
she could not open the door and Iwa
unable to break it in. Finally was driver
away by the fire and smoke and had tt
leave her to her fate. L could only tell from
the voice. but supposed she was youn!
girl anywhere from 10 to Is years old. Sh,
: was i'll a room Oh the third floor, facing OF
Main street." r. Ii. Humes occupied
3 room OH the third floor. He was awakened
; by the electric bells, and after arousin,
several people on the same floor, jumped
through the window to the kitchen roof
There everything was in flames Afte
3 bidding goodbye to several others on tn
same roof, he made rush fol- the Eagl
q street DOORS going through the kitche
I. skylight and out through the flames an
e escaped. He left five persons on the kitche
roof.